Eternal Goodbye
by Draconis Kitten Sweetie
Summary: SPOILER'S FOR THIRD BOOK! This is Reth's point of view as he speaks with Evie one last time before leaving her forever. Plus a little more description and a *slight* change in one scene. Enjoy!


(This is an author's note. I find talking with the character's more fun than just an author's note.)

Kitten (so me.): Am I the only one who absolutely loves Reth and likes Evie/Reth as much if not more than Evie/Lend?

Evie and Lend: YES.

Reth: NO.

Kitten: ... Anyway... This is one of my many takes on the very last gate scene before Reth disappears forever *SOBS*. I don't own Paranormalcy or it's characters *SOBS*.

*Paranormalcy*

**Reth's POV**

The rest of my race, the entire faerie race, disappears in the gate. I look to the white, beautiful light I will be walking to freedom through in a couple moments, and back to Evie, who would soon be my Neamh forever.

She's attached to the pesky shape-shifter Lend, whom she thinks she loves, yet she's gesturing at me then to the gate. I frown, wondering what on Earth has gotten to her and motion her to me. Has she forgotten that I want to go through with her?

I watch her untangle herself from the shape-shifter and walk over to me, the wind halting her progress and making her pull her blond hair from her mouth three times.

Before I can say anything, she yells over the wind to me. "You should go! You're the only one left and you look terrible and it's almost dawn!" A small smile plays on my lips, and I look to her endearingly. Of course she wants me to go through first. She'll want to know I'm safe.

"I want to go through with you. I want to be there when you become what you should be." I need not to shout over the wind, my voice, carrying over to her as if skating on the wind.

"Reth," she says as she addresses me, shaking her head. "I'm not going through."

What?

I feel my eyebrows rising in confusion, and parrot back to her what she said, hoping it sounds ridiculous to her too.

"No! I'm not going through!"

Obviously the realm we're in is affecting her. If I can just get her to cross the gate with me... "Of course you're going through. This is what everything has been about, escaping this wretched planet. Together." Together... With my Neamh forever.

"You can go!" She yells over the wind. No... I cannot. Not without you.

I reach out and cup the side of her face with my palm. I need her to come with me. "You are the only thing I have ever cared for besides myself. I cannot leave you here."

Evie, whom I'm starting to doubt will ever be truly Neamh, looks gets such a look of pity on her face, I realize she actually does care for me. She places a cool hand on mine, shaking her head that finally reaches me. "I'm sorry, Reth. I'm not coming. This is my home."

I feel my frown increasing. "You are really choosing to stay." Please, deny it, and come be my Neamh.

"I am."

I feel my frown deepening, confused as to why she must stay and be apart from me. "I do not understand."

Evie grins and shrugs, a small amount of remorse visible on her face, hidden by her beautiful smile. "Isn't that what you hate about me? Flighty, unpredictable, squirmy human emotions?" No, it's what I love about you. "Even though you're a total jerk, and I hate you more than I like you, I can accept that you always thought you were doing the right things for me." You cannot mean that... "You can't make these choices for me though, because you don't really know me and you never could."

But I do know you. "But I love you," I hear myself say, watching her. She pulls my hand away from her face and pats it as if a sympathetic gesture.

"Faerie love is something I can live without," she starts, begging me to argue, though I contain myself, keeping my calm mask. "And I think you'll find that I'm something you can live without, too."

I narrow my eyes, thinking. I can't, Evie. Please, come with me and be my Neamh. I look to the gate sorrowfully, less excited about going through, and back to Evie, wishing she would come with me.

Evie becomes scared, getting the wrong impression from my gesture. "Don't even think about it. If you so much as take a step to drag me through, I will drain your soul and send it through the gate in the stars you're so cared of. And you know you can't fight me right now."

My lip juts out in a pout that indicates hurt. I didn't want to drag you through. It hurts me that you think I'd do that to you. but instead I say, "I really will miss you, my love." I can't help but notice a soft look pass over her face, and I continue. "If nothing else you were always entertaining," I finish wanting nothing more than to plead with her to come with me.

"I think I might miss you too," she says, and a smile plays on my lips again. I know you mean that, Neamh. I start thinking as she continues. Maybe I can show her I love her. It might not make a difference, but she'll know then. She continues, "So few things left in this world to terrorize me and look pretty while doing it. Now get out of here and enjoy your eternity." I glance at the gate calculatingly, judging how much time I have. It's enough. Once more, she misinterprets my meaning. "I can drain faster than you can run." She threatens.

I smile at her, and surprise her, quickly and gently putting my arms around her waist, pulling her to me one last time and pressing my lips to hers. Before my eyelids close and lock everything out, I see her eyes widen in shock. I feel her palm against my chest as if she intends to take my soul, and the tension is suddenly gone, her palm lying there harmlessly.

I can imagine pulling back with her still in my arms and her smiling back at me. I can imagine her whispering she'll come and running to the gate with me, to forever be my Neamh. But it doesn't happen.

Instead I pull back with my arms still around her and the hand that was on my chest fluttered up to touch her lips as if to comprehend what just happened, and realization flitted across her features. Realization that I truly do love her and that she really does love me more than she hates me. But I had an epiphany of my own while watching her and Lend together and his face when I kissed her. It hadn't been hate or anger. It was hurt. Sadness that I was taking his Evie. So I release her, knowing she loves me but she has to stay with Lend.

"Perhaps if I had done that earlier you would be coming with me now," I say, watching my still shocked Evie watch me. I smile at her, giving her the smile she calls the enigmatic faerie smile that I hope she'll miss. She slowly comes to her senses, watching as I unsteadily make my way to the gate. I can feel my broken soul healing, though know it'll never be complete without my Evie with me.

As I walk through the gate, the wind carries one last, heartfelt message from her. "Good-bye, Reth," the wind whispers, carrying Evie's voice through the gate to me in a heartbreakingly heartbroken way.

I turn and look through the gate I've just walked through, knowing she won't hear me but saying it despite that.

"Goodbye, my love, Evie."

*Paranormalcy*

Kitten: Awwww... I really loved writing this... I considered including the part where Vivian goes through and closes the gate, but felt it ended well were it was. Maybe I'll write another chapter with that included. Did I break your hearts? I love Reth so much! Anyway, drop review by if you care to! Tell me if you loved it or hated it or somewhere in between!


End file.
